James Copley: Why Sunderland fans can remain calm about ‘£8m’ Dan Ballard and Pierre Ekwah claims

There was always going to be interest in some of Sunderland’s players this summer.

Despite the Black Cats' disappointing 2023-24 campaign - in which Sunderland lost 22 times and placed 16th, a marked drop off from last season’s top-six Championship finish - the club still boasts some talented and desirable players, notwithstanding some patchy form.

Dan Ballard and Pierre Ekwah are the latest duo to be linked with a move away from the Stadium of Light this summer. Fresh reports claim the pair are wanted by Ipswich Town after their stunning promotion to the Premier League under Kieran McKenna.

Incredibly, it has been claimed that Ballard and Ekwah could be available for a joint fee of around £8million and that their sale is a “likely outcome” as Sunderland look to raise funds for a summer build under a “strict budget.” That figure seems suspiciously low when considering both Arsenal and West Ham will be due money from any potential sale of the two.

We know that Sunderland’s basic principle as a football club currently revolves around signing young players and up-skilling before selling for big money and then reinvesting. Whether you agree with the application of this strategy after recent results, it is a tactic employed to bridge the gap to clubs in the second tier with parachute payments.

It is pretty safe to say Sunderland will demand the absolute most from potential suitors for their players if transfer interest is forthcoming - and that £8million for both Ballard and Ekwah simply will not cut it. Moreover, Sunderland have not cashed in on their major assets in a multiple-transfer fire sale previously - and are not expected to do so again.

Last summer, Ross Stewart was sold for a fee of around £10million to Southampton with the Black Cats demanding the highest possible figure from The Saints despite the striker having just one year left on his deal at the Stadium of Light. There were also bids for Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke plus interest in Dan Neil and Anthony Patterson. Sunderland could have cashed in further but they didn’t.

Fast forward 12 months and Jack Clarke will likely become the Ross Stewart of the 2024 summer transfer window. Should Clarke depart, he will fetch big money. That cash will hopefully allow Sunderland to rebuild if (though that is now a big if) spent correctly. Clarke has two years left on his contract but is unlikely to sign a new deal amid Premier League interest. The departures of Ekwah and Ballard as well as Clarke during the summer would be a tough sell to supporters and any potential new head coach.

Sunderland are also extremely well-protected when it comes to Ballard and Ekwah. Both players are under contract until 2027, meaning the club are under no great pressure to sell. The club’s most recent accounts made for decent reading. Though a £9million operating loss was revealed, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus does not have to sell to keep the club afloat like some of Sunderland’s Championship rivals.

Given their respective ages - Ballard is 24 and Ekwah is 22 - selling to a Premier League club with all their riches for a measly £4million a piece does not seem a scenario that Sunderland are likely to entertain anytime soon. Silly season, it seems, is firmly upon us.